Hockey Debate #1

[visualdarkness]

I gave my award to the Western Canadians due to hockey knowledge in Canada, though I nearly gave it away to Europe. You North Americans are so quiet and it rarely looks like party in the arenas, insteed it looks like movie theaters. I understand how it becomes that way with the rules and the expensive tickets. Here in Europe every fan can go to the game and cheer for their team without a overwelming threat of being kicked out and loose lots of money.

[batdad]

Again, that cheering for your team no matter what...just means you are a fan of the team. Not necessarily the sport.

[Franck]

Again, that cheering for your team no matter what...just means you are a fan of the team. Not necessarily the sport.

The first would really not be worth the effort without the second.

[grits207]

I voted for Eastern Canada. They don't have any major pro teams but they are still every bit as crazy about hockey as anybody and, in general, they support amateur hockey more than any region I have seen.

[wildiowafan]

Just food for thought, but I don't know that you can equate behavior at games with passion.

I am very passionate about women, but i don't start hootin and hollerin and jumpin up and down, acting like a fool every time a cute one walks by.

Behavior at sporting events is largely cultural and has little to do with how passionate fans are. Japanese wrestling fans are very passionate, but they don't act anything like WWE fans.

[visualdarkness]

Just food for thought, but I don't know that you can equate behavior at games with passion.

I am very passionate about women, but i don't start hootin and hollerin and jumpin up and down, acting like a fool every time a cute one walks by.

Behavior at sporting events is largely cultural and has little to do with how passionate fans are. Japanese wrestling fans are very passionate, but they don't act anything like WWE fans.

I somewhat agree with you here, but I guess our cultural differences gives us different views on how a crazy dedicated, passionate fan usually behave. Here can you often see how passionate fans are for a team and the sport by just watching and listening to them, the social norm at the games is that if you love the team you got to cheer and support them.

You can see the cultural differences when a team stays on the ice after a game to do the wave and let people cheer for them after a game. You never see that happening in NA. If it has a connection with biggest fans is highly subjective though, I would never say anything else.

[djskek]

The best fans come from Germany and Switzerland! The fans supported loudly 60 min and more! It is not at all comparable to North America. The NHL is only a family outing for the Americans and nothing else! If I follow the NHL on television, then you can hear and see absolutely no mood. The viewers see the game only quiet in the stadium.

[Tasku]

That's true. Compared to games I've seen of the Swiss and German leagues, NHL and other leagues pale in comparison where it comes to fan support. I'm also guessing this is because, especially in Germany, heavy drinking is involved when you go to watch a hockey game. In Finland, for example, you can't bring your drinks to the seats, so you can only drink a beer or two in intermissions, at the bar.

(Which is something I'd like to change, being a fan of beer and hockey aswell!)

[philou21]

It's a good idea though. Sometimes drunk people do stupid things and they can ruined the game for alot of persons. If someone can control himself I'm not against that but you never know...

[Tasku]

True. Drunks can be unpredictable. But I'd be happy to sip my beer while on my seat. That would be the best!

[philou21]

That I can understand. It never happened to me for now when I go see MTL for example, that an idiot wants to be drunk and keeps drinking until he p****** everyone around him. But I'm always cautious with that kind of people, I really don't like when people are drinking....The Straight Edge in me is talking.

[djskek]

That's true. Compared to games I've seen of the Swiss and German leagues, NHL and other leagues pale in comparison where it comes to fan support. I'm also guessing this is because, especially in Germany, heavy drinking is involved when you go to watch a hockey game. In Finland, for example, you can't bring your drinks to the seats, so you can only drink a beer or two in intermissions, at the bar.

(Which is something I'd like to change, being a fan of beer and hockey aswell!)

Alcohol consumption has only to do a little with it. We have a completely different mentality to the sport. Pure passion! Naked supporting the club!True to the motto! First, the favorite club, then the sex!

[batdad]

passion for a club does not necessarily make one a hockey fan. Sorry...but to knock on the passion of someone who roots for the Vancouver Canucks is nuts. This city is loony for the Canucks, more loony than anywhere else. Take a look when the Canucks are on the road. The LUUUUUU chant is in every building now. So annoying.

Anyway...I said it once I will say it again...a booster or fan of a hockey team...is not necessarily a real hockey fan. Knowledge of the game and of other teams and other leagues comes into play. I don't believe that anywhere in the world has the capacity to have any more passionate, knowledgeable and interested fans than Canada. If you split Canada into regions ... you can find dead spots. But it is rare. Sorry...we prove it every time we host an international event...and every time you go watch our teams play. God the Leafs sell out their building and still chant "GO LEAFS GO" when the team is 29th overall.

[philou21]

The Habs too.

[Morty Benson]

Eastern Canada definitely makes sense... When St. Johns had an AHL team, the fans were definitely great.

As for Ontario hockey fans, well, I'm from Ontario, and I don't think we're the best by any means. Personally, I refuse to pay $100 to attend a Leafs game, but no matter how poorly they do, or how poorly they have been managed, they are still able to pack the building. I think they are finally on the right track though, so sometime in the next few years I may splurge on a game here and there.

Now, I actually live about 30mins from the CAN/US border, and I have to say that Sabres fans are more passionate and more emotional than most Leaf fans I've met.

I guess that's my 2cents.

[racicot]

I knew a guy on my local CIS team who was from Germany and said that even in his old DEL div2 (bundesliga?) games the fans would be nuts. Plus, they filled an outdoor soccer stadium with over 75,000 raucous fans for the first match of the World Championships; and the fans were so passionate that they helped them beat the US in OT.

I guess the question would be how you define "best". Canada has very knowledgeable fans who tend to sit back and enjoy the game. Hockey is also a staple of Canadian culture and is pervasive throughout the country. You have die hard Boston fans in Vancouver, and Vancouver fans in Newfoundland. European fans tend to have a better time at a hockey game, but there are typically pockets of support focused around the local club. Their culture is more geared towards soccer, formula 1 and other sports. However, if I based it sheerly on noise, "having a good time", I would have to say that Europe has the better fans.